NSW Police investigating online antisemitic attacks

NSW Police are investigating antisemitic attacks made by high school students at Sydney’s Marcellin College Randwick in an online chat group with students from Moriah College.

A Snapchat group started by Moriah College students earlier this year grew to also include students from Marcellin.

In one video, a student is seen performing a Nazi salute and there are many other offensive messages, including images of the Nazi flag, “Jewish c***s”, “f***ing Jews, yuck”, “Heil Hitler” and symbols of gas pumps, presumed to be references to concentration camp gas chambers.

A NSW Police spokeswoman said officers attached to Eastern Beaches Police Area Command were notified about the group chat on Monday and its youth liaison officers are now investigating.

NSW Jewish Board of Deputies has been liasing with both Marcellin and Moriah after being made aware of the chat group several days ago.

“Concerningly, this is not an isolated issue – antisemitic behavior in schools is a growing problem,” said NSW JBD president David Ossip.

“This is not the first school to be exposed and it won’t be the last. Schools must take decisive action to stop it, or risk becoming environments where hate is tolerated.”

Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-CEO Alex Ryvchin says the messages are “horrific”.

“To see young people growing up in Sydney viewing the Holocaust and the genocide of the Jews as a punchline, it’s deeply disturbing,” Mr Ryvchin told Sky News.

“It talks to what’s happening in our society more widely, the fact that antisemitism is becoming more normalised, it’s becoming a point of humour, of dark memes, and that’s totally unacceptable.

“These are extremely harmful concepts and to normalise Nazism is to normalise racism, hatred, genocide and antisemitism in its most violent, extreme forms.”

“This exchange included the use of unacceptable, offensive language and symbols, directed towards our students.”

MP Allegra Spender has welcomed the actions that are being taken by both the school and the NSW Police.

“I’m absolutely appalled by the horrific comments and actions of the young schoolboys from our local area,” said Spender.

“The horrors of the Holocaust are no cause for jokes or classroom banter. This kind of behaviour is completely unacceptable.

“Awful incidents like this emphasise the importance of holocaust education in our schools, and the vital role of the new Antisemitism Envoy.”

Moriah College principal Mira Hasofer emailed parents telling them the matter is being handled with the “utmost care and seriousness”.

“We appreciate that the other school has recognised this as an egregious breach of its values by the students involved,” said Hasofer said.

“The school’s leadership has taken the necessary steps to address the incident in a timely and cooperative manner.

“We are confident that the situation will be resolved to the satisfaction of both schools.”